Industrial strategy targets supply chains, local manufacturing

Egypt's Industrial Strategy 2030 aims to bolster the country's industrial sector by deepening integration into global supply chains, fostering domestic manufacturing, and increasing local value added. Industry Minister Khaled Hashem unveiled the strategy's main pillars and discussed opportunities to strengthen collaboration between the ministry and the Egyptian-British Business Association.

The strategy focuses on five key industrial groups: supply chain-integrated industries, strategic industries like iron and steel, supporting industries such as metalworking and food processing, enabling industries encompassing solar energy equipment and precision tools, and circular economy and recycling industries.

To support investors and manufacturers, the Ministry is developing an integrated support framework, providing industrial land, streamlined licensing, financing facilities, and technical assistance. The strategy also emphasizes technology alignment between research and industrial needs, balancing international technology transfer with domestic capability development.

Local resources and Egypt's mineral wealth will be leveraged to enhance value added and reduce import dependence, particularly in feeder industries like refractory materials and phosphate-based industries.

On the regional front, the ministry plans to deepen industrial integration with African nations and explore opportunities to establish Egyptian industrial projects across the continent, expanding investment and cooperation opportunities while increasing product exposure in regional markets. Workforce development is a key focus, with plans to introduce a vocational education program that equips graduates with basic and specialized skills, modern technology training, and practical factory instruction.

The program will be internationally accredited and establish connections between graduates and local/international companies to bridge labor market gaps.

The Ministry's manufacturer support system aims to foster communication among industrial establishments, expand commercial and production partnerships, and develop local suppliers and feeder industries. By linking smaller factories with major industrial companies' production requirements, the system seeks to integrate them into supply chains, expand operations, and strengthen capacities.

The Ministry also aims to support innovative industrial ventures and assist them in transitioning to large-scale production, transforming technological ideas into viable products. Egypt is seeking to attract European SMEs facing economic difficulties, facilitating partnerships that provide Middle Eastern and African markets access while transferring technology and expertise.

Finally, the Ministry is implementing the "Productive Village" initiative in rural communities, leveraging competitive advantages in food processing and textiles to generate employment, reduce post-harvest losses, and curb rural-urban and international migration.